Ukrainian Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko said on Thursday the government was seeking a 20 percent reduction in energy use and that Ukrainians had responded to an appeal to limit their use of power.

Halushchenko said on Ukrainian television that Russia had launched more than 300 air strikes on Ukrainian energy facilities since October 10.

"We see a drop in consumption," he informed. "We see a voluntary decrease. But when it is not enough, we are forced to bring in forced shutdowns."

The Russian Defense Ministry stated on Thursday that the Russian Armed Forces had again hit all designated military and energy systems in Ukraine with high-precision weapons.

(With input from Reuters)